John Torque
John Torque is a fictional character in the vehicle action series ''Vigilante 8''. Overview John Torque was a down on his luck gambler who lost more money than he was taking in. It is hinted that he owed money to some shady people, but had a terrible gambling problem. His reasons for joining the Vigilantes is a mystery, but Sid Burn was a nationally wanted terrorist, so the reward money was most likely the reason. Despite this being the case, it didn't affect his friendship with Convoy. Prior to the events of Vigilante 8: 2nd Offense, John Torque had eliminated Sid Burn and used his money to buy a new vehicle, a new wardrobe, and then gambled the rest away. Bored out of his mind without the thrill of taking down the Coyotes, John Torque became a bounty hunter and decided to track down a notorious weapon smuggler named Nina Loco, who turned out to be an old flame of Sid's. While on Loco's trail, John decided to pay a visit to his old mentor, and was horrified to find Convoy and Houston missing, and their home burned to the ground. Torque immediately grabbed a few machine guns from Convoy's backyard and set off to search for them. Endings In his V8 ending, John takes Sid Burn's money and gambles it away at a roadside casino. He then reveals Sid Burn bound and gagged in the trunk of his car as he drives off to an unknown destination. In his V8: 2nd Offense ending, he finally catches Nina Loco and heads to the nearest jailhouse to collect reward money. He opens his trunk, which shows Nina tied up, but John has a change of heart. Then he and Nina drive off together, the two falling in love with each other. In his V8: Arcade ending, John Torque defeats Boogie and uses his money to (presumably) gamble in Vegas. Vehicles & Statistics In V8, John drove the 1969 Jefferson, a white pimp-mobile that was decently armored and had moderate speed. In V8: 2nd Offense, he traded the Jefferson for the Thunderbolt, a Pontiac Firebird-like car that wasn't as well armored as the Jefferson, but was faster. In Vigilante 8: Arcade, John Torque returns in the 1974 Jefferson, a slightly different style from its 1969 counterpart with a rusty-white paint job. It also has good radar evasion, but low strength. Special Weapons In V8 ''and ''V8: Arcade, John's Special Weapon was the Bass Quake, a giant stereo mounted on the trunk that sent out a damaging shockwave that caused all nearby environment to tremble. In V8: 2nd Offense, John's Special Weapon was the Wheel o' Fortune, a revolver like weapon that did moderate to high damage, depending on if the shot was supercharged (this happens randomly). Trivia *In Vigilante 8: Arcade, it's stated that John Torque's favorite car accessory is double deck poker cards. *According to an article on IGN, John Torque is considered an example of positive influence on African-American culture.﻿ *John Torque's character is based on Richard Roundtree's original Black action hero, John Shaft. The line "shut your mouth", heard in the main theme song of the game, is a reference to the main theme of the movie Shaft, in which the eponymous character stars in.﻿ Quotes ''Vigilante 8: *"''You ready to roll the dice, bro!" *"Bassquake!" *"Deuce!" *"You gambled and you lost, the house wins!" *"Somebody's dealing dirty cards! Shoot man, I should have bet on red!" ''2nd Offense: *"''The cards have been dealt!" *"Your luck's about to change!" *"Always bet on black!" *"Place your bet!" *"Snake eyes!" *"This ain't bingo, chump." *"You should learn when to fold!" *"The odds were against you, fool!" *"Easy come, easy go." *"I won't be taking that to the bank." *"Shoot! This has got to be fixed!" ''Arcade'': *"Ah yeah, place your bets, scumbags!" *"Torque's the name and action's the game!" *"Hmm, time to double down, brother!" *"Bass Quake!" *"Augh! ''(Cough)" *"''Augh! Come on! Tilt!" *"Ka-ching! Haha!" *"Yeah! Crank it up!" *"Haha! Luck of the draw, my man!" *"Yeah, huh, game over." Category:Characters Category:Vigilantes Category:List of Vigilante 8 Characters Category:List of Vigilante 8: 2nd Offense Characters Category:Content Category:List of Vigilante 8: Arcade Characters